Kings of cocaine: how the Albanian mafia seized control of the UK drugs trade

[Carlin15]

Today the German newspaper "Bild" released recordings of intercepted phone conversations, which show how a narco boss bought votes for the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Link to the article is here, which has videos of the recorings with English subtitles:
https://www.bild.de/politik/inland/p...5878.bild.html

Using google translate, the article in German starts as follows:

Is this country allowed in the EU? Albania wants to, Brussels does not mind - and Germany expressly supports the accession negotiations with the Balkan state, attesting great progress in democratization.

But actually the country is sinking into chaos. It is at a crossroads - to democratic conditions or finally to the Mafia Republic.

Also ...

Even Rama himself is considered a man with closest ties to the drug mafia: Western investigators and the Albanian opposition accuse him to have bought drug votes with drug money.

The recording of a telephone call is to prove this: Rama called on September 11, 2016, the head of a regional electoral authority to inquire whether everything ran out in the elections "as discussed". The response of the election leader: "Yes, boss, everything as discussed."

Ex-Justice Minister Manjani, a respected law professor, to BILD: "Different international organizations have confirmed that there was mass vote buying."

The ex-minister sees behind a joint project of Rama and the mafia: "The government protects the mafia and allows their drug business. In return, the gangs and clans are buying voters' votes for the government."

[Carlin15]

Nishani: The situation in Albania is critical, dangerous clashes are possible

URL:
https://telma.com.mk/nishani-sostojb...opasni-sudiri/

The imbalance between the ruling institutions in Albania have led the country to a major institutional, political and economic crisis, said former President of Albania Bujar Nishani in an interview. Nishani says that organized crime and corruption have become part of the country's politics, which is why Albania's European integration is blocked, and according to him, the incumbent Prime Minister Edi Rama is guilty of this situation.

[Carlin15]

Albania Is Europe’s Main Cannabis Supplier Reports Italian Antimafia

URL:
https://exit.al/en/2020/07/18/albani...ian-antimafia/

Albania is Europe’s main marijuana source, according to the Italian Antimafia division’s 2019 report. It is also ranked among the top countries of origin for marijuana globally.

Additionally, the report notes that Albania has become a key transit point for heroin coming in from Afghanistan and Central Asia. Albanian criminal groups act as middlemen and import large amounts of cocaine from Colombia to the European market.

The activities of Albanian criminal groups primarily consist in drug, arms, and human trafficking, as well as prostitution rings usually run in cooperation with other criminal groups.

The report found that income generated by these illegal activities is often invested strategically in Albania, in the construction and the tourism industries.

The Apulian coast remains the main Italian entry point used by drug traffickers coming from Albania.